WASHINGTON (AFP) - Democratic Senator John Kerry denounced remarks by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad questioning the Holocaust and suggesting that Israel should be relocated to Austria or Germany.

"For the leader of any country to question whether the Holocaust happened and suggest Israel be moved to Europe is beyond unacceptable," the former Democratic presidential candidate said in a statement.

"If President Ahmadinejad has any doubts about the Holocaust, he should have the guts to visit Auschwitz or talk to Holocaust survivors about the horrors they can never forget."

The Iranian leader said Thursday that if Germany and Austria believed Jews were massacred during World War II, then a state of Israel should be established on their soil -- comments Kerry termed a "hateful assault" against Israel.

"President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is an extreme ideologue whose hateful attacks against our ally Israel must be condemned in the strongest possible terms all over the world," the Massachusetts Democrat said.

"This is worse than just reprehensible rhetoric from the head of the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism," said Kerry.

"It is a stark reminder that it's long overdue for the community of nations to take strong and decisive steps to make Iran cease its support for terrorism."

Should they have let Khomeiny take over? He is a US agent from what I hear and he would have "toned down" the rhetoric... Don't you think that those people are better off with US placed dictators? at least someone can a pull a sting and shut him up... Geez why do they vote those people? That's reserved for "intelligent countries" sheeesh....

I sure hope that the USA can restrain itself from meddling in Iran. They have a huge number of young adults that are pushing form greater personal freedom. However, any threat from the USA will unite Iran. Better to leave them alone and let time and internal pressure transform them.

The flip side is that I hope the religious nut jobs in Iran can be restrained by Iran from nuking Israel or giving nukes to terrorists....

Should they have let Khomeiny take over? He is a US agent from what I hear and he would have "toned down" the rhetoric... Don't you think that those people are better off with US placed dictators? at least someone can a pull a sting and shut him up... Geez why do they vote those people? That's reserved for "intelligent countries" sheeesh....

Is that an excuse for that moronic behavior?
Iran is on the verge of being internationally body slammed and the fool keeps shooting off his mouth.

Imagine for a minute that Hitler won the war, and Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin shot themselves in their own dungeons. Who would believe that holocaust really happend then? Where would the actual proof be? It would have been buried and talked no more of.

Even with the proof available, some people still believe it's a fake. Hmm.

With this kind of a president, you would be better off with a guy pulled off the nearest moving tractor.

I sure hope that the USA can restrain itself from meddling in Iran. They have a huge number of young adults that are pushing form greater personal freedom. However, any threat from the USA will unite Iran. Better to leave them alone and let time and internal pressure transform them.

The flip side is that I hope the religious nut jobs in Iran can be restrained by Iran from nuking Israel or giving nukes to terrorists....

You are so right on this one. The US needs to stay away. As much as some of the younger ones want freedom, they also don't want 'American freedom'.

So, how on earth do you condemn their leader without inciting the people to rally around him?

I sure hope that the USA can restrain itself from meddling in Iran. They have a huge number of young adults that are pushing form greater personal freedom. However, any threat from the USA will unite Iran. Better to leave them alone and let time and internal pressure transform them.

The flip side is that I hope the religious nut jobs in Iran can be restrained by Iran from nuking Israel or giving nukes to terrorists....

You are so right on this one. The US needs to stay away. As much as some of the younger ones want freedom, they also don't want 'American freedom'.

So, how on earth do you condemn their leader without inciting the people to rally around him?

I think there is a way.

USA should cease the public criticism and let the brave people of Europe stand united in huffy opposition. Let Europeans pass strongly wordd resolutions and not invite Iranian officials to dinner.

In the meantime, the USA helps the Iraqi gov get set up and encourages democratic-leaning Iraqi Shiites to high office in their government. Spend the dollars to build the educational and medical and transportantion infrastructure in the Shiite-controlled areas of Iraq.

USA should help Afghanistan continue on its road from tribalism to representative democracy. Same with Pakistan. Look for products from both countries that can be imported to the USA and other countires to grow trade and a middleclass.